Mosses. 201 



covered here, among others, Cinclidium subrotundiim and Splach- 

 num Wormskjoldii. 



The altitude, at which the above-named mosses occur is, 

 with a few exceptions referred to in their place, between 700 m. 

 and 942 m. ; the remains of the old bridge, 3 km. S. of Mari- 

 stuen, lying at the former altitude, Slutemyr, 8 km. N. of the 

 hill-lodge, at the latter. Longitudinally between these points- 

 is situated the locality, which was, unfortunately, only too 

 cursorily examined in the summer of 1886, the distance between 

 the old bridge and Slutet being 8 km. and between Suletind 

 and »The saddle« 6 km.*). 



That the find of the rarer alpine species was so exces- 

 sively poor may be attributed to various causes, such as: the 

 shortness of the time availaible and the inclemency of the 

 weather, which was quite unsuitable for a prolonged search 

 on the higher hills, Suletind (1772 m.), Bleja (1707 m.**) and 

 »The saddle« (152G m.) lying W. of the Lærdalselv. The. 

 nature of the ground, which, consisting, as it does, for the most 

 part of syenite, slowly-weathering quartzite and mica-schist 

 may possibly explain the poverty of the flora on this great 

 mountain-tract. 



At the same time there is a noteworthy occurrence of 

 Mielichhoferia nitida on a copperbearing iron-vein. This crops 

 up in the vicinity of the old bridge, between it and the »hotel « y 

 and appears again on the other side of the river. The whole 

 of the vein, where exposed, whas thickly clothed with bright 

 green cushions of this moss, near which Grimmia atrata was 

 growing, both richly fruited. Schimper remarks in his Bryo- 

 logia Europœa, that when Mielichhofer discovered these plants 

 in the Vorarlberg, the first was growing on a vein of copper- 

 pyrites, and the other upon weathered mica-schist, side by side, 

 as on the Filefjeld ***). 



*) The figures were kindly furnished by the head-surveyor of the pro- 

 posed railway over the Filefjeld iu 1886. 

 **) The height taken from the geographical survey. 

 ***) A like observation as to special locality and conjoined occurrence of 

 these mosses is made by the norwegian collaborator in the summer 

 of 1887 on Knudshø. Dovre. In this place Mielichhoferia was fruiting 

 abundantly, old capsules moreover being found. Grimmia atrata was in 

 this case, however, barren. 



